Rethinking Water Planning

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Why is the project relevant to you?

The 25-year environment plan aims to provide clean and plentiful water through collaboration across different water-related fields. Currently, efforts and investments focus on specific goals within each field, considering broader benefits only later. This study investigates new ways to include the various disciplines in the early planning stages using existing statutory planning. However, implementing these approaches might require changes to regulations or funding rules.

Key messages for National policy makers

Planning together early across different water-related fields can better achieve environmental goals, make processes more efficient, and highlight the importance of nature-based solutions.

Call to action

Changes to guidance and regulations are needed to allow more flexibility, encouraging better collaboration and integration across different water planning functions.

Call to action

This project developed and tested two methods for combining statutory water planning functions, which can be used elsewhere. Both methods offer a good foundation for improving integrated water management through the water reform workstream.

Call to action

Because statutory water planning cycles vary in length, these approaches are designed to be flexible and iterative, allowing them to be used whenever a plan is renewed.

Call to action

Our conclusion is that having a single, unified plan isn't the best approach.Instead, we should focus on improving collaboration between different areas of the water sector and spatial planning.

Call to action

The project tested combining water resource, water quality, flood risk, and environmental plans. We recommend focusing on co-planning two plans at a time in the future.

Call to action